


Softly Creeping

by ForeverLilacLies



Category: Vampire Chronicles - All Media Types, Vampire Chronicles - Anne Rice
Genre: Abuse, M/M, Psychological Torture, Threats, Torture
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-12
Updated: 2017-01-12
Packaged: 2018-09-16 23:11:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,393
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9293825
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ForeverLilacLies/pseuds/ForeverLilacLies
Summary: Lestat has reclaimed his body, but is still unable to let go of his anger for Louis' refusal to help. Things escalate quickly.





	

It had been weeks since Lestat had burned down Louis’s house. Weeks since Louis had seen his Maker. The last he had heard was that Lestat had managed to regain his body as well as a new fledgling. Louis tried not to dwell to much on that last part. Lestat had been furious with Louis after he had refused to turn him. No doubt that if Louis had been in his home when Lestat had shown up, he would have been in danger of burning with it. Armand had been firm with keeping an eye on Louis. Lestat had not kept his anger a secret and that put Louis in danger. Lestat’s threat could have been as hollow as he wanted, but it didn’t change the fact that he had threatened Louis.  So Armand and Marius had kept Louis with them, both offering him protection. 

Louis had his own room and he tried to keep as quiet as he could. With all his belongings destroyed, he was left to rebuild again. Marius had loaned him several books and Louis tore through them with vigor. Armand came to him that night, asking if he wished to hunt together. Louis knew that Armand didn’t want to leave him alone. Not with Lestat out there, but Louis wasn’t worried. He knew Lestat. So, Louis was left tot his own devices and spent the evening with a book in hand. It was late when he heard a faint rustling noise coming from outside the room. The door had been left open, but Louis could see nothing in the hall. When the noise sounded again, he stood from the chair and set his book down. Louis turned to the source of the noise, stepping forward.

“Armand?” He called out. “Marius?” A figure stepped through the threshold, steps graceful and quiet. Louis recognized them immediately. That blond hair and grey eyes that seemed to pierce through Louis. He stood in the doorway, simply staring at Louis. He was dressed well enough; wearing blue jeans and a dark jacket that contrasted wonderfully with his golden hair.

“Louis.” Lestat greeted coolly and walked forward into the room. He was once again back in his body and seemed to revel in it. Louis had relaxed slightly at the sight of his Maker. Lestat could have been silent if he had wished to. He had wanted Louis to hear him. He had been waiting to catch Louis alone, watching in the shadows as Armand had finally left their shared house to hunt. Louis brushed his hair from his eyes, feeling self conscious under his Maker's intense stare. 

“Lestat.” He murmured. “I didn’t know you were in the area.” He watched as Lestat strode across the room, pace slow, taking in the lack of scenery in Louis' room. 

“I have only just arrived.” He replied, voice soft. His fingers trailed over the binding of one of the books, not looking at Louis. There was an edge to Lestat’s voice that Louis easily recognized. He was still upset with Louis. Perhaps him coming here could give Louis the opportunity to actually speak to his Maker.

“Lestat I-“ He began and Lestat’s eyes cut into him as his generous mouth suddenly turned into a snarl. 

“You refused to help me.” Lestat cut him off, his tone like ice. Louis stared at the blond, eyes narrowed slightly. “I came to you, seeking your aid and you turned me away.”

“I wanted to give you a chance at an actual life.” Louis argued softly, eyes sadder than they had a right to be and the sight of them had Lestat snarling. 

“That wasn’t for you to decide!” He spat at his fledgling, flinging a book against the wall with a defining bang. Louis watched as the book was split and pages drifted to the wooden floors.

“Wasn’t it?” Louis replied wearily, rubbing the side of his head in exasperation. “You were given a second chance at life. I was not about to take that away from you.”

“So you condemned me to die instead.” Lestat sneered in reply and Louis scowled, annoyance flaring in his chest. Lestat would never understand. He had been given a chance to live his life. And hadn't Louis warned him before? But Lestat never listened and still expected him to bend over backwards to help him.

“How can you be so dramatic? I wasn’t about-“ Faster than Louis could have blinked, Lestat had moved forward and grabbed him, shoving him against the wall. Louis shoulder connected painfully with the counter, but he showed no physical reaction. 

“You don’t get to decide my reaction! I came to you with one request and you couldn’t even do that for me!”

“I don’t owe you an explanation, Lestat. If you’re still so worked up about this then perhaps you should just leave.” Louis replied coldly, moving to walk past his Maker.

 “You don’t get to walk away from me again.” With a snarl, Lestat took hold of the back of Louis’ neck, hauling him forward and towards the door and dragging him down the hall. Louis stumbled and nearly fell, trying to keep up with Lestat’s quick pace. He had never seen Lestat this livid. He had seen him angry before, but it had never been directed at him. Lestat dragged him through the house and down the stairs, taking the steps two at a time. Louis struggled in the blond's grip, snarling at him to release him. Lestat flung him into the kitchen, and Louis moved to flee his Maker. He nearly made it out the door, but Lestat was faster. 

“Lestat! Let **_go_** of me!” Louis struggled in Lestat’s grip, but his Maker had always been stronger than him and his grip tightened on his fledgling.

“Shut up.” Lestat snarled, shoving the front door open and dragging Louis down the front steps. Cold dread filled Louis as his Maker continued to drag him down the sidewalk. A fear he was not used to feeling around his Maker and lover soon filled his chest.  He struggled again, arm thrusting out to shove the blond, Lestat grasped his hand and twisted it painfully until an audible snap filled the quiet evening air. The Creole cried out in pain, arm tucking against his chest as Lestat pulled him into the street. Lestat was going to hurt him. His Maker was actually going to hurt him. 

“Armand! **_Armand_**!” Louis cried out into the night, hoping that the other vampire was close enough to hear.  Lestat struck his fledgling sharply in the mouth, cutting him off.

“You think calling him will help you?” He replied, wrapping an arm around Louis’s torso and hefting him up.  Blood dribbled down Louis' chin and he spat a glob of it onto the floor.

Any other words Louis could have spoken were cut off as Lestat took off into the air, his grip on Louis punishing.  He flew into the sky and Louis clenched his eyes shut, both from the sharp wind and the fear of being in the air. Lestat flew up high above the tree line, up towards the clouds. When Louis chanced a glance down he was greeted with the twinkling lights of the city far below. The sky was clear, and the earth was illuminated in yellow light. Firm fingers took grip of Louis' chin and turned him to stare into his Maker's eyes. Louis stared at him in confusion and fear, not sure what the blond was planning. Lestat suddenly kissed him, teeth biting into his lip and drawing blood. Louis kissed back, hesitantly, tasting his blood. When Lestat pulled away from the kiss, his face was covered in gore and his smile was that of a demon. 

Lestat’s hold on Louis loosened and all at once, his Maker released him.  Louis couldn’t even manage a scream as he plummeted through the air, hurtling towards the earth. The air was loud in his ears as he fell, his long hair in a disarray and whipping through the sky. He didn’t know how far he had fallen before he was roughly and suddenly grabbed by his already wounded arm and yanked back up. He reached for Lestat, ignoring the burning sensation in his arm as he tried to cling to his Maker. The angel had quickly been replaced with the devil, and his lover had transformed into his executioner. 

“How does it feel, Louis? To be powerless in your own body?” Lestat snarled at his fledgling and wrenched his arm back from Louis’ grip. The air was cold this far up and Louis could barely make out the lights from the city below as Lestat rose higher. 

In the times where Lestat had brought Louis flying before, he had always held him close. An arm secure around his back and his other hand remaining firm against Louis’s shoulder. There had been no need to truly fear the flight, as Lestat would never had let him fall. Now he held Louis by his arm, dangling him over the earth and straining the muscle there until Louis was sure it would pop. He fought to gain leverage, practically clinging to Lestat’s arm. 

“Lestat, please!” Louis’ voice was strained with terror. He looked away from the lights below to stare up at his Maker, imploringly. Lestat simply gazed down at Louis, eyes colder than the air that whipped at his face. 

“I begged for your help. I begged you and you turned me away. I swore I would have my revenge. If I dropped you, do you think you would be powerful enough to survive? Or would you finally die as you always wished to?” Lestat replied. He held Louis over the open air. If he let go again, Louis would plummet to earth. Could he survive such a fall? He didn’t have the strength other vampires possessed. Even if he managed to survive the fall, how wounded would he be? Would he be left to lie, broken in the dirt and unable to run when the sun returned in the morning?

“Lestat…” Louis’s voice was shaking violently. Still in shock from the first fall. Lestat clicked his tongue, gazing towards the half moon that hung in the night sky. 

“Pathetic,” He murmured in his fledgling’s ear and once again released Louis.  This time a scream managed to tear from Louis’ throat as he fell, body tumbling through the open air and towards the earth. The sharp air stung his eye, causing them to tear up, and once again Lestat caught him and hauled him back up, his body jerking from the whiplash. Louis sobbed, reaching for his Maker in a desperate attempt to stop him from dropping him again.“Your life is literally in my hands. As is your death. And you had the audacity to deny me? I would have torn the world apart to help you. And you couldn’t be bothered to lift a finger for me.” Lestat now spoke calmly, voice barely audible above the roar of the wind. Louis sobbed, chest heaving as he clung to Lestat’s hand.

“You always thought the worst of me. Well, here it is, cheri. Perhaps I should let you go again?” He spat out cheri as if it were an insult. 

“No! No, _don’t_!” Louis pleaded, not caring how pathetic he sounded. He couldn’t handle the torment any longer. He couldn’t handle Lestat’s cruelty. Lestat’s free hand dove down and grasped Louis by his neck, lifting him up so Louis was at eye level. His Maker studied him for a long while, Louis knew he looked pathetic. His face was streaked with blood tears and his hair a wreck. Still, he used his uninjured hand to reach imploringly for his Maker and tormentor. His fingertips touched Lestat's cheek, trembling against the cool flesh. 

“Lestat-“ He began and Lestat chuckled, shaking his head. 

“Talking will not help you, Louis.” The blond mocked, wagging the finger of his free hand with a condescending sneer. This man had been his lover. His protector and guide. Now he was the monster that Louis had always feared. And that fact scared him more than anything. Lestat was really going to kill him. All those years of fighting and reuniting had all led to this. Louis allowed his eyes to fall shut, not wanting to watch Lestat drop him again.

“Lestat, release him.” A new voice suddenly spoke up and Louis jerked in Lestat’s grip, catching Marius in the corner of his eye. Lestat turned his head towards Marius, eyes narrowed in annoyance. Marius could see Louis clinging to his Maker’s arm as his feet dangled helplessly over the darkened sky.

“Bad choice of words Marius. And this is between Maker and fledgling if you don’t mind.” Came the clipped  and sarcastic response. 

“You don’t want to hurt him, Lestat.” Marius argued calmly, carefully watching Lestat’s grip on Louis. “You have your body back. You are yourself again. There is no need to harm Louis.”

“He would have left me to die!” Lestat snarled, teeth bared. His grip tightened on Louis’s neck, fingers turning white as he strained. Louis’s eyes clenched shut, clinging to Lestat’s hand.

“This is your fledgling, Lestat.” Marius stated softly, holding out his hands towards the pair. “This is your Beautiful One. You would never hurt him.” Lestat snorted at Marius’s argument, shaking his head. His blond hair blew in the air. He turned sharp eyes to his fledgling. 

“He’s proven that he’s nothing more than a rat. Just like the vermin he enjoys feasting on.” Lestat replied, acid dripping from his tongue. Louis clutched at the hand holding him, his eyes far away. Marius knew he was running out of options. He had to get Louis to safety. 

“The fall could kill him. Could you live with yourself if you let him die?” Marius argued and Lestat sneered at this.

“Seeing how I’m not exactly living, I think I’ll do just fine.” 

“And if he doesn’t die?” Marius prompted sharply, looking to Louis.  “If he is too wounded to move, you would leave him for the sun to finish him off.  Do not make me fight you Lestat. If I have to, I will.”

"You think I can't fight you?" 

"I don't doubt your abilities, Lestat. But I am not willing to let you kill your fledgling. I have always thought you a vampire with honor. Don't ruin that with your anger." Lestat could match Marius in a fight, but Marius would kill Lestat if necessary. 

Lestat stared at Marius for a long moment, his face devoid of any expression. He gave no indication if he was going to give Louis to Marius or drop him. For a moment, Marius feared that he would be forced to fight Lestat. If Lestat released Louis, would Marius be fast enough to catch him? Finally Lestat’s mouth set into a thin line and he looked to the city. Louis chanced a quick glance at his Maker who met his eyes with a long stare. Lestat's eyes traveled over Louis' face, mouth pursed thoughtfully. Marius didn't dare move, not wanting to provoke the blond.

“Take him.” Lestat finally muttered and shoved Louis towards Marius. Louis arms flew around Marius’s neck and he clung to him, body trembling violently. Marius’s hand moved to cup the back of Louis’ neck, the other secure around his waist. His eyes moved to Lestat who did not look at the pair, his sharp eyes now fixed elsewhere. "Keep him away from me. I want nothing more to do with him." Lestat's voice was flat and devoid of any emotion. Marius felt Louis shudder a silent sob against him.

"Lestat-" Marius began, but the other simply shook his head.

"He will turn on you too. Just wait." He snidely muttered, eyebrows narrowing into an almost menacing glare. Quickly, the vampire took off down towards the city, leaving Marius and Louis behind him. Marius closed his eyes with a soft sigh, cupping the back of Louis's head and murmuring an apology in his ear.  Marius slowly lowered back down to the earth, holding Louis close as the Creole clung to him. For a moment they were suspended through the air; alone with their thoughts. As soon as his feet touched the ground, he felt Louis's knees buckle and they both knelt in the grass, Marius holding Louis safely against his chest, resting his chin on Louis' quaking shoulder. 

"Shhh, Louis. It's over now." Marius murmured into Louis' ear. The younger continued to weep into Marius's shoulder, trembling and sounding as if his very heart had been taken. Was it the fear from the torture at Lestat's hand or Lestat's parting words that hurt more? Louis did not speak, but his eyes opened and were glossy as he stared over Marius's shoulder. Marius reached forward with a gentle hand and brushed stray blood tears from his cheeks. His face was covered in dried blood and it made Marius' heartache. "Let's get you cleaned up." He finally offered in a soothing tone and Louis looked towards him, expression suddenly closed off as he offered a stiff nod. He allowed Marius to help him stand, the elder wrapping an arm around his waist. He took in the state of Louis' arm and his face broke into a distressed frown. He did not speak, simply allowing Louis to lean against him as they made a slow trek back to Marius's home.

Armand was there to meet them upon their return, his eyes fixing intently on Louis.

"Louis..." He murmured, stepping forward and reaching for Louis who cringed away, green eyes looking towards Marius imploringly. 

"I'd like a shower...if that is okay?" Louis nearly pleaded.

"Of course." Marius nodded and Louis all but fled into the house. Armand stared after him, brows furrowed in distress, obviously wanting to help him but unsure on how. He had heard Louis' scream for him, but Marius had refused to allow him to go after Lestat and worsen the situation. Armand hated being left in the dark.

"What happened out there, Marius?" Armand demanded, rounding on his Maker as soon as Louis was out of sight. Marius did not answer, knowing that Armand would surely go after Lestat if he were told. And while Louis might have been spared Lestat's rage tonight, Armand might not walk away as lucky. Instead he reached and gave his fledgling's shoulder a gentle squeeze. He walked by the eternal youth, suddenly feeling his age. He could feel Armand's eyes following him all the way to his room. 

In the shower, Louis sat in the tub, allowing the water to beat down on his hunched back. He wept silently, unwilling to allow Marius or Armand to hear him at his lowest. He had not bothered undressing, his clothes soaked through and clinging to his skin. He did not notice when the heated water turned cold or when the water turned off as Armand finally came to bundle him to sleep. 

 

* * *

 

Dawn was nearly approaching when Lestat finally returned to the house he shared with David.

"Lestat?" David called out in relief when he spotted his Maker finally return from his hunt. He had been gone for much longer than normal and David had been worried about him.  Lestat walked into the kitchen, his mouth covered in dry blood. Lestat was not someone who normally made such a mess when hunting, so the sight gave David pause. He stood from the kitchen table as Lestat approached him. Before he could speak, Lestat reached him and gripped him by the back of his neck, dragging him forward and kissing him roughly. David could taste blood on Lestat's lip, but it wasn't human.

"Lestat, what's happened?" He asked finally, voice filled with confusion. Lestat gave no answer and instead strode off towards his bedroom, leaving David standing bewildered behind him. Lestat did not speak to him again and when the sun approached, Lestat was already in his coffin. 

Lestat stared at the lid of his coffin, unable to sleep and thoughts muddled. He could hear David shuffling to his own coffin. When the death sleep finally began to approach, Lestat allowed it to take him, Louis' face the final thing on his mind as his body finally shut down. 


End file.
